7 Residential Architecture & Interior Design Trends for 2016

Elissa Morgante, AIA

Elissa Morgante, AIA
Founding Partner at Award Winning Chicago Architects, Morgante Wilson

Jan 18, 2016 - 5 min read

7 Residential Architecture & Interior Design Trends for 2016

What are the latest trends in residential architecture and interior design? This is a question clients often ask, and one we both love to answer. At Morgante-Wilson we keep a close eye on developing design trends, partly to stay a step ahead of our clients so we can guide them properly, and partly so we can separate passing fads from real, honest-to-goodness shifts in the way people live in their homes. Here, our predictions for the most important residential architecture and interior design trends of 2016, all illustrated by some of our favorite recent projects:

Design Trend #1 - Gray Matters

Gray continues to gain importance in 2016. A welcome foundation for a wide range of hues from very colorful to monochromatic, gray has been steadily growing in popularity the last couple of years and shows no signs of abating.

Design Trend #2 - Metal and Wood Mixes

Our 24/7, digital lifestyles are driving renewed appreciation for the art of the handcraft. Nowhere is this truer than in our homes, where marrying metal and wood – whether in architecture, ornament, or accessory – helps us feel connected to our natural surroundings. (Not to mention it looks fantastic!)

Design Trend #3 - Indoor Outdoor Connections

Remember when connecting your home to the outdoors meant building a deck off your kitchen? Today, it’s all about eliminating boundaries between indoors and out. Incorporating floor to ceiling windows is one way to achieve this, while also welcoming views and natural light into your rooms. This is one trend we’re confident is here to stay for a good, long while. Like forever.

Design Trend #4 - Away Spaces

A relatively new concept that’s quickly growing in popularity, an “away space” is nothing more than an intimate room that offers a quiet refuge from the larger, all-in-one spaces being built in most new homes today. Think about it: while open floor plans consisting of kitchens and great rooms can’t be beat for everyday living, there are some times you prefer to relax in a cozier environment.

Design Trend #5 - Goodbye, upper cabinets

This is one trend we’re loving. As our kitchens grow ever-larger, they typically offer plenty of storage space either in pantries, islands, or lower cabinets. That frees up entire walls to incorporate far more interesting design elements at eye level than a boring bank of upper cabinets. Huge expanses of metal, stone, windows, and even open shelves are all on-trend alternatives to upper cabinetry.

Design Trend #6 - Technically innovative window products

Products such as NanaWalls, which fully retract into walls, and other glass wall systems, were practically unheard of a decade ago. This year, they’re more widely available than ever before. Not only do they broaden the options for architects and interior designers, they feed our growing need to connect our indoor rooms to the outdoors.

Design Trend #7 - “Personal” Architecture

While this isn’t exactly a new concept, it’ll be bigger than ever in 2016. Long gone are the days when the architectural style of a new home was expected to fall neatly into a predetermined category: Colonial, Tudor, Contemporary – you get the idea. We see a growing trend toward residential architecture that reflects clients’ personalities, tastes, and lifestyles, as well as the sites their homes are built on.

That concludes the first half of our list of 2016 trends in architecture and design. Next time, we’ll share more predictions with you. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about Morgante Wilson Architects and our talented team of architects and designers just a give us a call! We’re always in the mood to talk!

Elissa Morgante, AIA

Elissa Morgante, AIA

Founding Partner at Award Winning Chicago Architects, Morgante Wilson